and to tell how far they are actuated by those feelings and passions which are predominant in the breasts of white men; always, as I proceed, directing the attention of my readers to all circumstances that may undeceive those who have been deceived, and convince those who have not.

CHAPTER XLIV.

PAST CRUELTIES AND PRESENT AMELIORATION.

"For cruel or improper punishments slaves had formerly no adequate redress

"Now they are manumised and provided with an annuity for life; magistrates are appointed a council of protection to attend to their complaints."

Barclay's present State of Slavery.

I have already mentioned that when I spoke of slavery as it did exist, it would be for the purpose of proving the amelioration of the present by exposing the barbarities of the past. As those barbarities were frequently rendered horrible by a refinement of cruelty, and as they were besides committed in "numbers numberless," I should only be imposing a task at once painful and disgusting to my readers, by enumerating them in their long and almost endless list. I shall therefore content myself with giving only a few specimens, yet those few will serve to show what a dark and dreadful thing slavery was, and how much the condition of the negro deserved the pity it excited.

Before I begin, however, I must state, in justice to the planters, that I firmly believe those cruelties are

as much regretted by the descendants of those who practised them as they were condemned by those who saw them. I must also warn my readers against allowing themselves to imagine that the hideous statement before them is a tale of things that are. Such cruelties have long since ceased to be-have long since been, not only excluded from humanity, but forbidden by law; and even when they did exist, they often met with the punishment they deserved.

That no punishment, however, not even the dreadful one of death, could be sufficiently bad for the perpetration of the crimes I am about to narrate, will be palpable to the reader.

On the 8th of May, in the year 1811, the Honorable Arthur William Hodge, Esq. was executed behind the gaol at Tortola, for the murder of his slave, Prosper. The facts sworn to in the various statements that led to the trial, are such as no humane and feeling person will peruse, without indignation at the conduct of the master, and pity for the sufferings of the slave. I will now lay these facts before my readers as they are literally copied from the appendix to the sixth Report of the African Institution, and from an abstract of papers laid before the House of Commons.

No. 1 states, that in January 1806, a "slave, named Welcome, belonging to Mr. Hodge, was employed by him as a hunter, to go in quest of runaway slaves. After hunting for four or five days, he returned home unsuccessful, in consequence of which

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he was laid down, by Hodge's order, and severely cartwhipped. He was immediately sent out to hunt a second time, and in a few days again returned unsuccessful, when, with his old wounds uncured, he was a second time, by Hodge's order, laid down and severely cartwhipped. Welcome was immediately sent qut hunting a third time, and returning in a few days with no better success, was again severely whipped and put in irons, with a pudding on each leg and a crook round his neck, and in the night was confined in the stocks. He was allowed little food, and became so weak that he could scarcely walk. In this condition, with dreadful sores, occasioned by his former whippings, he was ordered to go to a neighbouring estate, but being unable to walk, fell down on the road. He was carried home, and being again whipped, died the same night in consequence.

"2. Mr. Hodge having suspected two female slaves, Margaret, his cook, and Else, a washerwoman, of a design to poison Mrs. Hodge and his children, poured a quantity of boiling water down their throats, and then whipping them and chaining them together, he sent them in a state of nakedness to work in the field. Both these slaves languished for a short time and then died. On the day that Margaret died, one of the deponents went into the kitchen, and seeing her stupified, asked what was the matter, on which, she pulled a handkerchief from her head and showed two very severe wounds, which she said Mr. Hodge had given her. She soon after fell on her face, and, being

carried to the sick house, died that evening. Mr. Hodge had been heard to say that he was resolved neither of these women should live long.

"3. Some time before the death of Margaret, one of the deponents saw in the sick house a child about ten years of age, named Tamoen, with its skin entirely off. The deponent asked the sick nurse what was the matter with the child, but she refused to give an answer, and seemed afraid lest her master should know that the child had been seen. On inquiry, it appeared that the child had been dipped, by Hodge's order, into a copper of boiling liquor.

"4. In the year 1807, a slave called Tom Boiler, a stout, hale, hearty man, was, by Hodge's order and in his presence, laid down and flogged without inter

mission for at least an hour. After this infliction he attempted to rise, but could not. He was taken up and carried to the sick house, whence he never came out, but died in about a week. No doctor was called to attend him.

"5. Soon after the death of Tom Boiler another slave, named Prosper, was, by Hodge's order and in his presence, laid down, and for more than an hour whipped without intermission. He was then taken, by Hodge's orders, and with his hands tied behind his back, lashed to a tree. Hodge then ordered the driver to use close quarters,' meaning by this expression a more cruel and severe cartwhipping than is commonly used; the whip in this case being shortened, and going all round the belly, and making at the same time comparatively little noise. In this